docs: update README for Excel export and template-based naming
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
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README.md
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README.md
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# ExportDXF
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# ExportDXF
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A Windows desktop application that automates exporting flat pattern DXF files from SolidWorks drawings, assemblies, and parts. Built for sheet metal fabrication workflows, it extracts BOM data, generates DXF flat patterns with etch/bend line markings, and exports drawing PDFs to a local output folder with SQL Server tracking.
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A Windows desktop application that automates exporting flat pattern DXF files from SolidWorks drawings, assemblies, and parts. Built for sheet metal fabrication workflows, it extracts BOM data, generates DXF flat patterns with etch/bend line markings, and exports everything to a local folder with an Excel workbook for downstream tools like [OpenNest](https://github.com/ajisaacs/OpenNest).
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## Features
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## Features
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- **Batch DXF export** from SolidWorks drawings, assemblies, or individual parts
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- **Batch DXF export** from SolidWorks drawings, assemblies, or individual parts
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- **Flat pattern generation** with automatic sheet metal detection
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- **Flat pattern generation** with automatic sheet metal detection
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- **Etch line insertion** on bend-up lines for fabrication reference (via EtchBendLines library)
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- **Etch line insertion** on bend-up lines for fabrication reference (via EtchBendLines/ACadSharp)
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- **PDF export** of SolidWorks drawings
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- **PDF export** of SolidWorks drawings
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- **Local file export** -- saves DXFs and PDFs to a configurable output folder
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- **Excel BOM output** -- generates an xlsx workbook with a BOM sheet (direct copy of the SolidWorks BOM table) and a Cut Templates sheet (DXF filenames, thicknesses, K-factors, bend radii, content hashes)
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- **SQL Server database** -- tracks export history and BOM data via Entity Framework Core
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- **Revision tracking** -- content hashing detects unchanged DXFs across re-exports; changed files get revision suffixes (e.g., `PT03 Rev2.dxf`)
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- **View flip control** with automatic, manual, and prefer-up strategies
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- **Configurable filename template** -- format like `4321 A01 PT{item_no:2}` with placeholders for item number, part name, configuration, and material
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- **Active document tracking** -- connects to SolidWorks and displays the active document in the title bar
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- **Pluggable drawing info extraction** -- auto-fills the filename template from the document name; extensible via `IDrawingInfoExtractor`
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- **BOM extraction** from drawing BOM tables or assembly component trees
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- **View flip control** with automatic, manual, and prefer-up strategies
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- **Drawing history dropdowns** -- equipment and drawing number filters populated from past exports
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- **Active document tracking** -- connects to SolidWorks and updates the UI when the active document changes
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- **Per-export and app-level logging** to plain text log files
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## Requirements
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## Requirements
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- Windows 10/11
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- .NET 8.0
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- Windows 10/11
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- SolidWorks (installed and licensed)
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- .NET 8.0
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- SQL Server (default: `localhost`, database: `ExportDxfDb`, Windows auth)
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- SolidWorks (installed and licensed)
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## Solution Structure
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## Solution Structure
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```
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```
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ExportDXF.sln
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ExportDXF.sln
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ExportDXF/ Main WinForms application
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ExportDXF/ Main WinForms application
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EtchBendLines/ Library for adding etch lines to DXF files (git submodule)
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EtchBendLines/ Library for adding etch lines to DXF files (git submodule, uses ACadSharp)
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netDxf/ DXF file read/write library
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```
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```
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### Key Namespaces
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### Key Namespaces
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| Namespace | Purpose |
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| Namespace | Purpose |
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|-----------|---------|
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|-----------|---------|
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| `ExportDXF.Services` | Core services -- SolidWorks connection, DXF export, BOM extraction, PDF export, Excel output, logging, filename template parsing, drawing info extraction |
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| `ExportDXF.Services` | Core services -- SolidWorks connection, DXF export, BOM extraction, PDF export, file export |
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| `ExportDXF.Forms` | WinForms UI -- main export form with log, BOM, and cut templates grids |
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| `ExportDXF.Forms` | WinForms UI -- main export form with log and BOM grids |
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| `ExportDXF.Models` | Data models -- BomItem, CutTemplate, ExportContext, SolidWorksDocument |
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| `ExportDXF.Models` | Data models -- BomItem, ExportRecord, ExportContext, SolidWorksDocument |
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| `ExportDXF.ViewFlipDeciders` | Strategies for determining if a flat pattern view should be flipped |
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| `ExportDXF.Data` | Entity Framework Core DbContext for SQL Server persistence |
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| `ExportDXF.ItemExtractors` | Extract component items from BOM tables and assemblies |
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| `ExportDXF.ViewFlipDeciders` | Strategies for determining if a flat pattern view should be flipped |
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| `ExportDXF.Utilities` | SolidWorks helpers, content hashing, sheet metal property extraction, text utilities |
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| `ExportDXF.ItemExtractors` | Extract component items from BOM tables and assemblies |
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| `ExportDXF.Extensions` | Extension methods for SolidWorks, UI, unit conversion, strings, TimeSpan |
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| `ExportDXF.Utilities` | SolidWorks helpers, sheet metal property extraction, text utilities |
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| `EtchBendLines` | Post-processes DXF files to add etch marks on bend-up lines |
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| `ExportDXF.Extensions` | Extension methods for SolidWorks, UI, unit conversion, strings, TimeSpan |
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| `EtchBendLines` | Post-processes DXF files to add etch marks on bend-up lines |
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## How It Works
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## How It Works
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1. **Startup** -- Connects to a running SolidWorks instance (or launches one). Auto-fills the filename template from the active document name using pluggable extractors.
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1. **Startup** -- Connects to a running SolidWorks instance (or launches one) asynchronously. Loads past export history from the database to populate equipment/drawing dropdowns. Displays the active SolidWorks document name in the title bar.
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2. **Export** -- Based on the active document type:
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- **Drawing**: Copies the raw BOM table to the Excel BOM sheet, exports the drawing as PDF, then generates flat pattern DXFs for each sheet metal component.
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2. **Export** -- Based on the active document type:
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- **Assembly**: Extracts components from the assembly tree and generates flat pattern DXFs for each sheet metal part.
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- **Drawing**: Extracts BOM items from BOM tables, exports the drawing as PDF, then iterates through each component to generate flat pattern DXFs.
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- **Part**: Generates a single flat pattern DXF for the active part.
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- **Assembly**: Extracts components from the assembly tree and generates flat pattern DXFs for each sheet metal part.
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- **Part**: Generates a single flat pattern DXF for the active part.
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3. **Post-processing** -- Each exported DXF is run through the EtchBendLines library, which identifies bend-up lines and adds short etch marks at their endpoints on a dedicated `ETCH` layer. Only up bends are etched because SolidWorks automatically flips the flat pattern so the shortest flange is the first bend. The etch marks let the press brake operator verify part orientation right off the laser table without flipping.
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3. **Post-processing** -- Each exported DXF is run through the EtchBendLines library, which identifies bend-up lines and adds short etch marks at their endpoints on a dedicated `ETCH` layer. Only up bends are etched because SolidWorks automatically flips the flat pattern so the shortest flange is the first bend. The etch marks let the press brake operator verify part orientation right off the laser table without flipping -- the first bend (shortest flange) will always have an etch line.
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4. **Save** -- DXF and PDF files are saved to a `Templates/` folder next to the source file. An Excel workbook is written with the BOM and Cut Templates sheets. If re-exporting, content hashes are compared against the existing workbook -- unchanged DXFs are skipped, changed DXFs get a revision suffix.
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4. **Save** -- DXF and PDF files are copied to the configured output folder. Export records and BOM items (with sheet metal properties) are saved to the SQL Server database.
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## Output
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## Configuration
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```
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C:\Projects\4321\
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Settings are in `App.config`:
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├── 4321 A01.SLDDRW
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└── Templates\
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```xml
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├── 4321 A01 PT01.dxf
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<appSettings>
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├── 4321 A01 PT02.dxf
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<add key="MaxBendRadius" value="2.0" />
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├── 4321 A01 PT03.dxf
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<add key="ExportOutputFolder" value="C:\ExportDXF\Output" />
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├── 4321 A01 PT03 Rev2.dxf (revised, original kept)
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</appSettings>
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├── 4321 A01.pdf
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<connectionStrings>
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├── 4321 A01.xlsx
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<add name="ExportDxfDb"
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└── 4321 A01.log
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connectionString="Server=localhost;Database=ExportDxfDb;Trusted_Connection=True;TrustServerCertificate=True;"
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```
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providerName="Microsoft.Data.SqlClient" />
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</connectionStrings>
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### Excel Workbook
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```
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**BOM sheet** -- exact copy of all visible columns and rows from the SolidWorks BOM table (Drawing exports only).
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## DXF Filename Format
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**Cut Templates sheet**:
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Exported files follow the pattern: `{DrawingNumber} PT{ItemNo}.dxf`
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| Item # | File Name | Revision | Thickness | K-Factor | Bend Radius | Content Hash |
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Example: `5007 A02 PT01.dxf`
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|--------|-----------|----------|-----------|----------|-------------|--------------|
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## Building
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## Configuration
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Open `ExportDXF.sln` in Visual Studio and build. The EtchBendLines submodule must be initialized:
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Settings are in `App.config`:
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```bash
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```xml
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git submodule update --init --recursive
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<appSettings>
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```
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<add key="MaxBendRadius" value="2.0" />
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<add key="DefaultSuffix" value="PT{item_no:2}" />
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</appSettings>
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```
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### Filename Template Placeholders
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| Placeholder | Description | Example |
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|-------------|-------------|---------|
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| `{item_no:N}` | Item number, zero-padded to N digits | `{item_no:2}` → `03` |
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| `{part_name}` | SolidWorks part name | `Bracket` |
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| `{config}` | Configuration name | `Default` |
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| `{material}` | Material name | `AISI 304` |
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## Building
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Open `ExportDXF.sln` in Visual Studio and build. The EtchBendLines submodule must be initialized:
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```bash
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git submodule update --init --recursive
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```
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